Hearing told plaintiff poorly perceived

A man accusing Alpine Energy of discrimination was not well perceived by other members of staff during his employment with the company, a witness says.

Kevin Waters has brought proceedings against the electricity company, alleging he was discriminated against by reason of age. Waters, then 62, applied unsuccessfully for two jobs with Alpine in 2012.

On Thursday afternoon, before the Human Rights Review Tribunal, he called former Alpine Energy employee Anthony Sullivan as a witness.

Alpine’s counsel,

Hamish Evans, asked Sullivan how he thought Waters was perceived within the company.

‘‘In general, throughout the staff, I would say not very well,’’ Sullivan said.

Waters asked Sullivan for examples of where he had not been a ‘‘team player’’ during his previous employment with Alpine, from 1975 to 2008.

‘‘Do you really want me to answer that question?’’ Sullivan responded.

Waters asked ‘‘what was the main issue with my not being able to connect?’’

Sullivan told the tribunal if Waters asked someone a question at work, and did not receive the answer he wanted, he would simply move on to someone else until he got the answer he was looking for.

Sullivan, who was involved in the selection process for some of Alpine’s new staff, was asked by Waters whether he recalled previously saying the company needed to look at employing ‘‘younger blood’’.

He did not recall using the phrase and said if he had it was a tongue-in-cheek comment.

‘‘We need people with knowledge of the industry and to progress things to Alpine’s standards,’’ Sullivan said.

Waters asked Sullivan to confirm to the hearing that during his previous employment, he (Waters), had carried out the duties of an engineering officer, one of the roles he unsuccessfully applied for.

Sullivan said Waters may have assisted in the tasks ‘‘from time to time’’.

Another witness, Graeme McNabb, contacted by recruitment firm Farrow Jamieson after he was listed as a reference on Waters’ CV, was reported in a Farrow Jamieson report as stating Waters looked to do things his way and in this respect was inflexible. Tribunal chairman Rodger Haines, QC, said McNabb agreed he had been accurately reported.

Waters applied twice, once with Alpine directly and again through Farrow Jamieson, for the position of maintenance engineer.